Determining a patient&#39;s posture from mechanical vibrations of the heart

ABSTRACT

A system for determining a patient&#39;s posture by monitoring heart sounds. The system comprises an implantable medical device that includes a sensor operable to produce an electrical signal representative of heart sounds, a sensor interface circuit coupled to the sensor to produce a heart sound signal, and a controller circuit coupled to the sensor interface circuit. The heart sounds are associated with mechanical activity of a patient&#39;s heart and the controller circuit is operable to detect a posture of the patient from a heart sound signal.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.10/900,570, filed Jul. 28, 2004, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/703,175, entitled “A DUAL USE SENSOR FOR RATERESPONSIVE PACING AND HEART SOUND MONITORING,” filed on Nov. 6, 2003,and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/334,694 entitled “METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR MONITORING OF DIASTOLIC HEMODYNAMICS,” filed on Dec. 30,2002, which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field generally relates to implantable medical devices and, inparticular, but not by way of limitation, to systems and methods fordetermining a patient's posture by monitoring the mechanical functionsof the heart.

BACKGROUND

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) are devices designed to be implantedinto a patient. Some examples of these devices include cardiac rhythmmanagement (CRM) devices such as implantable pacemakers and implantablecardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The devices are used to treatpatients using electrical therapy and to aid a physician or caregiver inpatient diagnosis through internal monitoring of a patient's condition.Implantable devices may also include electrical leads that are eitherseparate from, or connected to, a CRM. Electrical leads connected to CRMdevices are located in or near a heart to provide electrical therapy tothe heart. The electrical leads are also in communication with senseamplifiers of the CRM devices to monitor electrical heart activitywithin a patient. Other examples of implantable medical devices includeimplantable insulin pumps or devices implanted to administer drugs to apatient.

Congestive heart failure is a disease that causes the ventricles of theheart to have a reduced ability to contract which results in aninadequate amount of blood being pumped into circulation. Because bloodis being pumped away from the lungs at a reduced rate, fluid may buildup in a patient's lungs and cause difficulty in breathing. As apatient's condition worsens, the patient may develop a tendency to restin an elevated posture to reduce the fluid buildup in his or her lungs.Some CRM devices provide electrical therapy to treat congestive heartfailure. The present inventors have recognized a need for improvedmonitoring of the condition of a congestive heart failure patient.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods are provided for determining a patient's posture bymonitoring heart sounds. In one system example, the system comprises animplantable medical device that includes a sensor operable to produce anelectrical signal representative of heart sounds, a sensor interfacecircuit coupled to the sensor to produce a heart sound signal, and acontroller circuit coupled to the sensor interface circuit. The heartsounds are associated with mechanical activity of a patient's heart andthe controller circuit is operable to detect a posture of the patientfrom a heart sound signal.

In one method example, the method comprises sensing heart soundsassociated with activity of a patient's heart using an implantablemedical device and determining posture information of the patient fromthe heart sounds.

This summary is intended to provide an overview of the subject matter ofthe present patent application. It is not intended to provide anexclusive or exhaustive explanation of the invention. The detaileddescription is included to provide further information about the subjectmatter of the present patent application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a system that uses an implantablemedical device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an implantable medical device.

FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of S1 and S2 heart sound signals asa function of time.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an implantablemedical device.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an implantablemedical device.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an implantablemedical device.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a method for determining posture of apatient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and specific embodimentsin which the invention may be practiced are shown by way ofillustration. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be usedand structural or logical changes may be made without departing from thescope of the present invention.

The present application discusses, among other things, systems andmethods for determining a patient's posture by monitoring heart sounds.Implantable medical devices (IMDs) may include sensors to monitorinternal patient parameters. For example, an acoustic sensor can be usedto sense heart sounds. Heart sounds are the sounds resulting from thephysical contractions of the heart. Heart sound one (S1) occurs when aheart's ventricles receive blood from the atria. S1 is the sound made bythe heart during the near simultaneous closure of the mitral andtricuspid valves. Heart sound two (S2) occurs when the ventricles areemptied. S2 is the sound made by the heart during the near simultaneousclosure of the aortic and pulmonic valves. When a person is standing orsitting, the amplitude of the heart sounds and the frequency componentsof the heart sounds of the person are different than when the person islying down. By monitoring the amplitude or the frequency spectrum of theheart sounds it can be determined whether the patient is laying down oris in an upright position.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a system 100 that uses an IMD 110.The system 100 shown is one embodiment of portions of a system 100 usedto treat a cardiac arrhythmia. A pulse generator (PG) or other IMD 110is coupled by a cardiac lead 108, or additional leads, to a heart 105 ofa patient 102. Examples of IMD 110 include, without limitation, a pacer,a defibrillator, a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device, or acombination of such devices. System 100 also includes an MD programmeror other external system 170 that provides wireless communicationsignals 160 to communicate with the IMD 110, such as by using telemetryor radio frequency (RF) signals.

Cardiac lead 108 includes a proximal end that is coupled to IMD 110 anda distal end, coupled by an electrode or electrodes to one or moreportions of a heart 105. The electrodes are for delivering atrial and/orventricular cardioversion/defibrillation and/or pacing orresynchronization therapy to the heart 105. IMD 110 includes componentsthat are enclosed in a hermetically-sealed canister or “can.” Additionalelectrodes may be located on the can, or on an insulating header, or onother portions of IMD 110, for providing unipolar pacing and/ordefibrillation energy in conjunction with the electrodes disposed on oraround heart 105. The lead 108 or leads and electrodes are also used forsensing electrical activity of a heart 105.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram 200 of an embodiment of an implantable medicaldevice (IMD) 210 used in a system for cardiac rhythm management. The IMD210 includes a signal sensing circuit 212 to sense electrical signals onthe lead or leads 108 and electrodes. To sense the electrical signals,the sensing circuit 212 includes sense amplifier circuits (not shown).The IMD 210 includes a pacing circuit 214 to deliver electrical therapyto a heart through the lead or leads 108 and electrodes. The electricaltherapy includes altering a heart rate through electrical stimulation aswell as re-synchronizing the depolarizations of heart chambers withoutnecessarily altering a heart rate. Sensor 216 is operable to produce anelectrical signal representative of heart sounds. In one embodiment, thesensor 216 is an accelerometer that senses vibrations associated withmechanical activity of a heart. The IMD 210 also includes a controllercircuit 222 and memory circuit 224. Sensor interface circuit 218 iscoupled to the sensor 216 and processes the sensor signal to produce aheart sound signal readable by controller circuit 222. The controllercircuit 222 is operable to detect a posture of the patient from theheart sound signal, such as by executing an algorithm or algorithmsimplemented by hardware, software, firmware or any combination ofhardware, software or firmware.

In some embodiments, the controller circuit 222 is operable to detect aposture of the patient from a frequency spectrum of the heart soundsignal. The spectral energy of the S1 and S2 heart sounds are generallywithin a range of about 10 Hz to about 100 Hz. When a person changesfrom an upright position to a supine position, the spectral energy rollsoff at a lower frequency, i.e. more high frequency components areattenuated. When a person changes from a supine to an upright position,more high frequency components appear. In one such embodiment, thecontroller circuit 222 is operable to perform a spectral analysis ofenergy of the heart sound signals to detect this change in the frequencyspectrum of a patient. In another embodiment, the spectral analysis todetect the change in frequency includes a fast Fourier transform.

To detect a change in the frequency spectrum of the heart sound signal,in one embodiment the memory circuit 224 is operable to store a baselinefrequency spectrum for the patient requiring the IMD 210. The baselinecan be either for the upright or supine position. The controller circuit222 then detects a change in the position by a comparison of thebaseline frequency spectrum to the current frequency spectrum. Thechange can be either the addition of higher frequencies to a supinebaseline or the subtraction of the higher frequencies from an uprightbaseline. In one embodiment, the baseline frequency spectrum is obtainedfrom a personal profile of the patient. In another embodiment, thebaseline frequency spectrum is obtained from a patient population.

In other embodiments, the controller circuit 222 is operable to detect aposture of the patient from an amplitude or magnitude of the heart soundsignal. When a person is in a supine position, the S1 and S2 heartsounds are significantly smaller in amplitude than when the person isstanding or sitting. FIG. 3 shows a graphical representation 300 ofamplitudes of S1 and S2 heart sound signals as a function of time. Thegraph shows the time relationship between the heart sounds. To measurethe heart sounds an S1 timing window 310 is begun to measure the S1signal. The S1 window 310 is timed in relation to a ventricular event(not shown). After the S1 window expires an S2 timing window 320 isbegun to measure the S2 heart sounds. In one embodiment, the S1 and S2timing windows are taken or determined specifically for one patient. Inanother embodiment, the S1 and S2 timing windows are determined from apatient population.

Returning to FIG. 2, sensor interface circuit 218 provides a heartsignal amplitude value to the controller circuit 222. In one embodiment,the controller circuit determines the posture of a patient from theamplitude value. In another embodiment, the IMD 210 detects a change inamplitude of the heart sound signal. In the embodiment, the memorycircuit 224 is operable to store a baseline amplitude value that can beeither for the upright or supine position. The controller circuit 222then detects a change in the position by a comparison of the baselineamplitude to the current measured amplitude to determine a patientposition from the change from the baseline amplitude. The comparison mayinvolve a single maximum value, a central tendency maximum value such asa mean maximum value, or a morphology comparison.

In yet another embodiment, the presence of the higher frequencies orhigher amplitudes is given a logical state by the controller circuit222, such as a logical “1,” denoting that the higher frequencies orhigher amplitudes are present and the person is upright. A logical “0”indicates that the higher frequencies or higher amplitudes are notpresent and the person is lying down. In yet another embodiment, thecontroller circuit 222 is operable to apply a weighing or scoring over aplurality of cardiac cycles before deeming that the patient is standingor supine. Such a scoring or weighing is useful to accommodate gradualchanges in posture.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram 400 of another embodiment of an IMD 410. Inthe embodiment, the sensor 416 is an accelerometer and provideselectrical signals representative of acceleration to the sensorprocessing circuit 418. The accelerometer detects mechanical vibrationsof the heart that correspond to the S1 and S2 heart sounds. The sensorinterface circuit 418 includes amplifier circuit 440 and low-pass filtercircuit 442. The sensor interface circuit 418 provides a heart soundsignal to controller circuit 422. The controller circuit 422 thendetects a posture of the patient from the frequency spectrum or theamplitude of the heart sound signal. The controller circuit is operableto adjust the parameters of the amplifier circuit 440 and filter circuit442. For example, in one embodiment, the amplifier circuit 440 providesa signal gain of one thousand. In another example, the controllercircuit 422 adjusts the filter circuit 442 to single pole roll-off.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an IMD 510 that includes another embodimentof a sensor interface circuit 518. In addition to amplifier 540 and lowpass filter 542, the embodiment includes an analog-to-digital convertercircuit 544 to convert the heart sound signals from accelerometer 516into digital values. The controller circuit 522 then determines amaximum value or values of the heart sound signal values and comparesthe maximum to a previously stored maximum or baseline to determine aposture of the patient.

Further embodiments of a sensor interface circuit used when monitoringthe amplitude or magnitude of a heart sound signal include peak detectorcircuits and level detector circuits. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of anexample of an IMD 610 where the sensor interface circuit 618 includes apeak detector circuit. The sensor shown is an accelerometer 616. Thepeak detector circuit includes a diode 646, capacitor 650 and switch648. The peak detector circuit stores the peak value of a heart soundsignal detected during the timing window onto capacitor 650. This peakamplitude value is converted to a digital value by analog-to-digitalconverter 644. The sampling rate of the analog-to-digital converter iscontrolled by the controller circuit 622. The digital value is then usedto determine a posture of a patient by any of the methods discussedabove.

Returning to FIG. 2, another embodiment of the IMD 210 includes a tiltsensor coupled to the controller circuit 222 in addition to the heartsound sensor 216. A tilt sensor measures DC acceleration in each ofthree main axes and provides electrical signals related to thisacceleration. The tilt sensor signals are useful in deducing patientposture. However, deducing a patient's posture from the tilt sensorsignals is complicated by not always knowing the orientation of an IMDin a patient. In this embodiment, the controller circuit 222 is operableto determine the posture of the patient by correlating the heart soundsignals and the tilt sensor signals.

Determining a patient's posture is useful in treating patients sufferingfrom congestive heart failure or in detecting that a patient issuffering from congestive heart failure. As discussed previously somecardiac rhythm management (CRM) devices provide electrical pacingtherapy to both ventricles of a patient's heart to improve the efficacyof contractions of the ventricles. Knowing a patient's posture at restmay give an indication of the efficacy of the pacing therapy. Forexample, information that the patient is resting for extended periods inan increasingly upright position may indicate that the patient'scondition is worsening. In addition, if the patient is not being treatedfor congestive heart failure it may be an indication that the patient isdeveloping congestive heart failure. Thus combining a patient's posturewith activity level provides useful information. In one embodiment, apatient's activity level is deduced using time of day. If a patient isan upright position during nighttime hours, it may indicate that thepatient is sleeping in an upright position to ease his or her breathing.In one embodiment, the controller circuit 222 is operable to provide acongestive heart failure status indicator as a result of trending thisinformation over time.

Sensors have been included in CRM devices to monitor a patient'sactivity. Indications of a patient's activity level are used to adjust arate of pacing therapy of a CRM device. Generally, these CRM devicesincrease a pacing rate according to an algorithm based on the activitylevel of the patient indicated by the sensor. This is sometimes referredto as rate responsive pacing. An accelerometer is one type of sensor 216that provides electrical signals representative of patient activity. Ifan accelerometer is also used to monitor heart sounds, the heart soundsignals should be measured while the patient is at rest. Determiningthat a patient is at rest can be deduced from a patient's heart rate ifthe IMD 210 includes rate responsive pacing therapy—i.e. the patient'sheart rate is at the resting heart rate.

In one embodiment, the IMD 210 includes a sensor to monitor patientactivity and a sensor 216 to monitor heart sounds. In anotherembodiment, the sensor 216 is operable to produce electrical signalsrepresentative of both heart sounds and patient activity. A discussionof using a sensor to monitor both patient physical activity and heartsounds is found in the previously mentioned U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/703,175, entitled “A DUAL USE SENSOR FOR RATE RESPONSIVE PACINGAND HEART SOUND MONITORING,” which is incorporated herein by reference.

In yet other embodiments, information from posture at rest can also becombined with other sensor information to detect congestive heartfailure. In one embodiment, the system to determine a patient's postureby monitoring heart sounds further includes a pressure sensor coupled tothe IMD 210. The pressure sensor is located and operable to produceelectrical signals related to thoracic pressure of a patient. Anincrease in thoracic pressure may indicate fluid buildup in a patient'slungs. The controller circuit 222 is operable to use both postureinformation and the pressure information to provide a congestive heartfailure status indicator.

In another embodiment, the system further includes a transthoracicimpedance measurement circuit coupled to the IMD 210. The transthoracicimpedance measurement circuit is operable to measure impedance across athorax of the patient. A decrease in thoracic impedance may indicatefluid buildup in a patient's lungs. In the embodiment, the controllercircuit 222 is operable to use posture information and transthoracicimpedance information to provide a congestive heart failure statusindicator.

Other embodiments of a system to determine a patient's posture bymonitoring heart sounds include an external device operable tocommunicate with the IMD 210. The IMD 210 includes a communicationmodule, such as telemetry module 226, to transmit or receive informationfrom the external device using wireless communication signals. In oneembodiment, the external device includes a display to display patientposture information obtained using the heart sound signal. In anotherembodiment, the display of patient posture information includes ahistogram of patient posture. In yet another embodiment, the display ofpatient posture information includes trending information of patientposture. For example, the trending information may include informationthat the patient is resting for extended periods in an uprightcondition. In some embodiments, the controller circuit 222 processes theheart sound information and transmits posture information to theexternal device. In other embodiments, the controller circuit 222transmits heart sound information to the external device and theexternal device derives the posture information. In yet anotherembodiment, the external device is operable to communicate with acomputer network such as, for example, a hospital network or globalcomputer network such as the internet.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram 700 of a method for determining posture of apatient. At 710, heart sounds associated with activity of a patient'sheart are sensed using an implantable medical device. At 720, postureinformation of the patient is determined from the heart sounds. In oneembodiment, the posture information is determined using a frequencyspectrum of the heart sounds. In another embodiment, the postureinformation is determined using a magnitude of the heart sounds.

The accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, show by way ofillustration, and not of limitation, specific embodiments in which thesubject matter may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated aredescribed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may beutilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logicalsubstitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scopeof this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is not to betaken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments isdefined only by the appended claims, along with the full range ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merelyfor convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope ofthis application to any single invention or inventive concept if morethan one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments havebeen illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations, or variations, or combinations of variousembodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and otherembodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to thoseof skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quicklyascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted withthe understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit thescope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing DetailedDescription, it can be seen that various features are grouped togetherin a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure.This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting anintention that the claimed embodiments require more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of asingle disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are herebyincorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing onits own as a separate embodiment.

1. A method comprising: sensing heart sounds associated with activity ofa patient's heart using an implantable medical device; discriminating aposture of the patient from among a plurality of postures from the heartsounds; and providing an indication of patient posture to a user orprocess.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining postureinformation of the patient from the heart sounds includes determiningposture information from a frequency spectrum of the heart sounds. 3.The method of claim 2, wherein determining posture information from afrequency spectrum of the heart sounds includes performing a spectralanalysis of energy of the heart sound signals to detect a change in thefrequency spectrum.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein performing thespectral analysis includes calculating a fast Fourier transform.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein determining posture information of thepatient from the heart sounds includes determining posture informationfrom a magnitude of the heart sounds.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining posture information of the patient from the heart soundsincludes: determining a baseline for the heart sounds; and detecting achange from the baseline.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the methodfurther includes detecting a change in posture.
 8. The method of claim1, wherein sensing heart sounds includes sensing one or a combination ofS1 and S2 heart sounds.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein sensing heartsounds includes sensing heart sounds during a timing window, wherein abeginning of the timing window is determined in relation to a sensedcardiac event.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing heart soundsduring a timing window includes determining a patient specific timingwindow.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing heart sounds during atiming window includes determining a timing window from data taken froma patient population.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the methodfurther includes: determining patient physical activity information; anddetermining a patient rest posture from the posture information and theactivity information.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein determiningpatient physical activity information includes determining activityinformation using a heart rate of the patient.
 14. The method of claim12, wherein determining patient physical activity information includessensing patient physical activity using an accelerometer.
 15. The methodof claim 12, determining patient physical activity information includesdetermining patient physical activity information from a same sensorused to sense heart sounds.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein themethod further includes: determining patient thoracic pressureinformation using the implantable medical device; and using both theposture information and the thoracic pressure information to provide acongestive heart failure status indicator.
 17. The method of claim 1,wherein the method further includes: determining transthoracic impedanceinformation using the implantable medical device; and using both theposture information and the transthoracic impedance information toprovide a congestive heart failure status indicator.
 18. The method ofclaim 1, wherein sensing heart sounds includes sampling an electricalsignal representative of the heart sounds and storing samples of thesignal as heart sound data, and wherein determining posture informationof the patient from the heart sounds includes transmitting the heartsound data from the implantable medical device to an external device andderiving posture information using the external device.
 19. The methodof claim 1, wherein sensing heart sounds includes sampling electricalsignal representative of the heart sounds and storing samples of thesignal as heart sound data, and wherein determining posture informationof the patient from the heart sounds includes creating a histogram fromthe heart sound data.
 20. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing heartsounds includes sampling an electrical signal representative of theheart sounds and storing samples of the signal as heart sound data, andwherein determining posture information of the patient from the heartsounds includes trending the heart sound data.